Energy Within Us
by Stelmaria
Summary: Meryl accidently gets turned into a PLANT! Now it's up to Vash to keep her under control before she destroys the planet. Will love overcome all?
1. Change

Hello! The following fanfiction was written jointly by two authors, Zuka and Stelmaria. Zuka is super smart, and a great author, so we decided to share our ideas. This fic is under my account, but she wrote half the story so give her the credit she justly deserves!  
  
*We do not own Trigun. Please don't sue us, we aren't making any money!*  
  
Meryl accidently gets turned into a PLANT! Now it's up to Vash to keep her under control before she destroys the planet. Will love overcome all? Find out! This show also takes place after the series ends, so there might be some spoilers. You have been warned!  
  
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Vash headed for the plant control center. Gazing over the complicated knobs and switches he quickly spotted the problem. 'Great,' He sighed. 'The plant will have to be fixed manually.' Shaking his head in resignation, he ambled up to the plant containment facility. Tugging at the heavy steal door, he entered the silent room. Dimly his mind registered the whirl and click of background machinery. An eerie, otherworldly glow lit the room emanating from the damaged plant. Looking closer he found what he was searching for.   
  
A long jagged gash ran down the side of the plant's smooth glass cover. Immediately Vash felt a sharp pain in his side. Only an echo, he realized, of what the plant itself was experiencing. What had caused this? He wasn't sure, but knew he had to help the plant quickly. It was rapidly losing energy. Before he could step closer, however, he heard rapid footsteps closing in from behind.   
  
"Hey! What are you doing? You aren't allowed to be in here!"  
  
"Huh? Insurance girl?"  
  
"It's Meryl to you, broom head!"  
  
"Hey now, don't be like that!" Vash said in a whiney tone. "I only wanna help"  
  
"With your luck you'd end up breaking something and the whole plant would go up in flames."  
  
Vash decided not to dignify the comment with a reply. Besides, he knew she just came up here because she was worried about him. Smirking, he decided to give her a little show.   
  
Stepping up to the bulb he reached out his hands to gently caress the fragile glass. 'Work with me here, my sister. I kinda wanna impress that girl over there, so could you do something a little flashy?' he pleaded.   
  
He turned back and gave Meryl a wide smile. "I happen to be here for a very important purpose, okay?'  
  
She still seemed skeptical so with exaggerated determination he placed both hands firmly on the bulb's surface. Closing his eyes he said loudly, "Heal yourself, oh brilliant orb! Glitter again with the life you so generously radiate!"  
  
Meryl's mouth dropped open, showing plainly how crazy she thought he was. "Vash, c'mon... What if some technician comes in a sees-"  
  
She broke off mid-sentence as the room was filled with a shining blue light.   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Vash, you air headed idiot, what if you get hur-" her tirade dropped off as she gazed at the broken bulb in awe. It seemed to glimmer brilliantly, pulsing with divine light. Meryl felt a warm blanket of contentment wash over her as the bulb gained energy. Peering through squinted eyes, she located Vash leaning gently against the glass. His cheek was pressed against the side, eyes closed in deep meditation. She had just decided to go see if he was alright when a movement caught her eye. Looking up into the vast glass encasing she gasped in shock. Someone was staring back at her. It looked vaguely like a human being, with long flowing hair and brilliant blue eyes. Her legs were long and slender, and her skin seemed to glow with an etheral light.   
  
"An angel," she whispered.  
  
The blue glow was increasing in brightness if that was possible. The last thing she saw before she was forced to shut her eyes was an intense shaft of white light that shot out form the creature in the blub. Toward her!   
  
"Vash!" she cried out.  
  
A warm, tingling sensation rushed from her fingertips, through her heart, to her toes. Then she was falling, drifting into nothingness.  
  
--  
  
Meryl slowly opened her eyes and moaned. Clutching her head she tried to quell a massive headache. Slowly focusing, she recognized a pair of aqua-marine eyes, creased with worry, peering down at her.   
  
"Meryl? Are you alright? Are you dying? Meryl, Meryl! Say something Meryl."   
  
She recovered her wits enough to be touched at the concern laced in his voice. Carefully she sat up and accessed the damage. Two arms, two legs, and, as far as she could tell, eyes ears and a nose.   
  
"I think I'm alright, Vash. What happened?"   
  
Vash sighed with relief and plopped down beside her. "Well, when the plant repaired herself she had a little latent enery."  
  
"A little?" Meryl replied incredulously.  
  
"Okay, a lot. Anyway, she decided to send some to you. Filling your body and giving you... a new aura."  
  
"What? Vash, what are you trying to say?"  
  
"Well..." He paused. There was just no easy way to say this. "You've turned into a plant."  
  
Meryl stared at him a few seconds in dumbstruck awe. Then she promply passed out again.   
  
Vash sighed as he studied her face. She had taken the new rather well, or so he thought. He hadn't yet told her about her change in appearance. Her eyes had changed to a pale blue, the color of ice. They glowed softly with the immense power veiled behind them. Her hair, too, had shifted to a brilliant white, flowing gently over her ears to end in silky curls. She was beautiful, Vash realized. He pushed back the urge to bend over and kiss her in her slumber. Instead, he kept his peace, silently watching over her as she drempt.  
  
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Stelmaria and Zuka thank you for reading.... Please tell us what you think! 


	2. Reaction

Hey! Zuka and Stelmaria here! We finally have the next chapter for you guys! Here you go, we hope you enjoy! Vash gets into some trouble this time.... I wonder how he will escape? Or will someone get $$60,000,000,000 richer? *Read to find out*  
  
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Meryl's eyes popped open. Instantly she was wide awake, sitting straight up in her small hotel room. "Hmm." Images of Vash, the local plant facility, and bright blue lights flashed through her mind. "Well, that certainly was an interesting dream." She let out a large yawn and climbed out of bed, heading for the bathroom to wash up before breakfast. She felt strangely confident this morning. Her feet were gliding more smoothly across the floor than they usually did. She reached the mirror. Her calm mood evaporated the instant she saw her own reflection.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH! Vash, get in here, NOW!" She waited three nano-seconds before totally blowing her top. "VASH! You empty headed, bug eyed, pea brained, donut guzzling, attention craving, broom headed poor excuse for a plant! Get your stinking behind in here now or else!  
  
She heard a wail and a loud crash downstairs. In seconds the Humanoid Typhoon was standing in the doorway before her.  
  
"Yes, Meryl? Is something wrong?" He fixed his attention on a crack in the floorboard, purposefully avoiding her piercing glare.  
  
"My memory doesn't seem to be responding at the moment. WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU DO TO ME?!?"  
  
"Ah. Well..."  
  
"Well, WHAT?"   
  
She was really much more intimidating with those blue eyes blazing and pale locks curling out in every direction, he decided. Softly he said, "Um... it seems as though the plant's extra energy transformed your appearance as well."  
  
"No! Really?"  
  
They were both silent for moment.   
  
"So, I'm a plant?  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Like you?"  
  
"Perfect, huh?"  
  
"So, how are we gonna fix this little problem?"  
  
Vash looked nervous. "Well, um... See... about that... I'm not really sure."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
Vash grabbed his head and ducked for cover.  
  
"Meryl..." He pleaded in vain. "It's not my fault, Reeeeaally. It's not like I asked you to follow me or anything!"  
  
Meryl's eyes started to shine with a demonic light. Uh oh, Vash thought, he had really done it this time.  
  
"Arg! Never mind! I should have known better than to ask YOU anyway. I'll fix it BY MYSELF!"  
  
"Meryl," Vash said in a soothing voice, trying to calm her down. "There's just one little thing... I think it might be permanent."  
  
"YOU THINK?"  
  
"Well, I'm pretty sure..." He said in a tiny voice. "You're just like me now, no going back."  
  
"No way!" She said. "There is no way I can be a plant. It's just IMPOSSIBLE!"  
  
Meryl bowed her head and clenched her fists. 'What has that nut-brain done to me? It's all his fault!' She was so angry, all she saw was red. She felt her rage slowly build, getting stronger and hotter.   
  
Vash suddenly stopped cowering and sat up. His laughing green eyes narrowed and got serious. He could sense Meryl's energy building within her. If she couldn't control it people could get hurt! He might have had 133 years of practice holding his plant powers in check, but she only had her instincts. Right now they were non-existent, disappearing in her rage. He would have to find some way to get through to her.   
  
The air between Vash and Meryl began to spark and crackle. Bolts of white-hot light filled the hallway.   
  
Meryl felt the rage burn within her. Her vision blacked out and she couldn't see anything. Only the fierce anger coursing hotly through her body. As it reached a fevered pitch she screamed in agony, "Vash!"  
  
He had been kneeling next to her when a ball of brilliant white light engulfed her body. Suddenly, he was blown backward by a wave of ferocious energy. "Vash!" he heard her call out to him, before he lost her voice in the inferno. Clenching his teeth against the searing energy surrounding them both, he slowly crawled toward her.   
  
"Meryl, let me help you." He called out to her desperately. "Meryl, please... Listen to me!" He looked up to see that her head had turned towards his voice. "Meryl, it's Vash." He said softly. "Please, Meryl. If you don't stop people will die. You have to come back, Meryl. No one has the right to take the life of another."  
  
At those words, Meryl seemed to hesitate. Her brilliant blue eyes bore into his, as if to search his very soul. They gazed at each other for an eternity, silently sharing hopes and dreams. Then, Vash stood up and leaned his forehead against hers.   
  
"I know you're here, just come back to me. Give me back the Meryl I know and love."   
  
He absently raised a finger to stoke her cheek. With that single motion, all the energy dissipated around them. Gasping in surprise Meryl blinked and looked up at Vash.   
  
"Oh, Vash..." She whispered. She was shaking uncontrollably. Tears poured down her cheeks. She swallowed and tried to shut away the indescribable fear that had welled up inside her. She had lost touch with herself so easily. She might have seriously hurt him if she hadn't been able to stop, and here he was, still standing beside her, protecting her. She wanted to say something, to tell him how much this meant to her. Why couldn't she stop crying? What an idiot he must think she was. Vash the Stampede. He was so close yet so distant...  
  
Vash was preparing to lean over and give her a warm, comforting hug when he heard it. A dangerously quiet cracking coming from the strained boards of the ceiling above. Time froze as they both became aware of the fact that Meryl's little explosion had taken out the surrounding walls. Walls which had played a necessary part in supporting the two floors of hotel looming above their heads.  
  
"The building's gonna collapse!" Vash wailed.  
  
The next thing she knew, his hand closed around hers and they were flying down the hallway at a speed faster than she had ever run before.   
  
"Everyone get out of here, NOW!" he shouted as he pulled her past closed doors.   
  
Around them, the magnitude of the ominous creaking was increasing. 'We'll never make it,' she thought desperately. They were still on the second floor. Ahead she spotted a large broken window.   
  
"We have to jump!"  
  
"What? But I thought you disapproved of suicide!"   
  
Meryl let out an ear-splitting scream as they cleared the window's ledge and the ground came rushing up at them. She braced herself for the end. Her feet hit the rock and her knees buckled under her. Surprisingly there was very little pain. In fact, nothing even seemed to be broken. Vash had landed neatly beside her, unfazed.  
  
They both helplessly turned back to the building. All at once, four stories of hotel rooms came crashing down into an immense pile of rubble. Thick clouds of dust and sand rose slowly from the desolation. Everything was deathly silent. Even the air had a certain leaden weight.   
  
Meryl stared in horror at the mound of destruction before her. Destruction she had caused.   
  
"What have I done?" She gasped. "What sort of monster have I become?"  
  
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	3. Confrontation

Ok, we don't own Trigun.. blah, blah, blah. If you actually think we do own Trigun then you are an idiot. :) And now, for your reading pleasure.....CHAPTER THREE! *drumroll* WoooHoooo! -Zuka and Stel  
  
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Meryl sat within the warm encompass of Vash's arms. Silent tears slid down her cheeks. Her eyes had turned red and puffy from crying. Dust still clung to her from the hotel's collapse. She let her head fall into her hands, Vash's words of comfort washing over her like waves. She was a monster now, an uncontrolled machine of destruction.  
  
"Shh... Meryl, stop crying. Everything's going to be fine. It's not your fault. They'll rebuild in no time. Then the hotel will be even better. Hush now, it's alright."  
  
Vash's voice seeped into her mind, gently washing away her fears. Slowly she raised her head to meet his loving eyes. They held compassion and understanding. Softly, she answered his soothing words.   
  
"Thank you, Vash, for saving me. If it weren't for you, I could've destroyed the whole city." She sighed a little shakily, tears still threatening to spill. "I guess now I know how you feel."  
  
Vash closed his eyes for a moment, then looked up at the sound of pounding feet.   
  
"There they are!" a voice called from down the road. "Meryl, Mr. Vash! Thank goodness you're both alright."   
  
Vash quickly let go of Meryl and was bowled over by an enthusiastic Milly who came racing up and heartily hugged each of them in turn.   
  
"I was so scared that you had been in there when it fell and that..." She trailed off, unable to voice her greatest fear. "Well, never mind! You both seem to be fine..." Suddenly, a frown crossed Milly's face. "Meryl, what happened to your hair?"   
  
"Oh. That..." Meryl still felt too dazed to take on the task of explaining her situation to anyone.   
  
She was spared when they were interrupted yet again by the sound of soft laughter. The three turned to see Vash's twin, Knives, hobbling toward them, only now having caught up with Milly. He was healing wonderfully from his showdown with Vash, but still confined to the use of crutches. He eyed the remains of their current Hotel.   
  
"Well well well. Having fun are we, dear brother?"  
  
Vash glared a reprimand back at his homicidal sibling.   
  
"It was an accident." He replied hotly.   
  
Meryl glanced up at Knives. She still wasn't sure how she felt about traveling with the maniacal man. The things Knives had done... The bleakness in his eyes and coldness in his voice led her to believe he would try something again.   
  
She could still remember the day two weeks ago, when Vash had stumbled into their hotel room dragging a limp form. Knives had been half dead then, deep in a coma. He hadn't seemed so bad laying there, looking so innocent. That is, until he woke up. That was when all hell broke loose.   
  
He had tried to kill Milly, summoning his plant energy and slamming her into the wall. Luckily, Vash had arrived and the two brothers had yet another confrontation. Meryl wasn't sure exactly WHAT happened behind the closed hotel room door. However, when Knives was good enough to come out he had his shiny black revolver in its holster and a fragile peace treaty with the human race.   
  
Knives merely cocked an eyebrow at his brother.   
  
"An accident, huh?" He said in a sarcastic voice. "This looks like something the Humanoid Typhoon would do, and he never makes mistakes."  
  
"Hey," Meryl said roughly. "Stop ragging on Vash. It's not HIS fault Augusta was destroyed. Besides, you're not so perfect yourself!"   
  
Knives' eyes had narrowed dangerously. 'How dare she speak to me with such insolence!' he thought. 'Look at her, a pathetic human! How can my brother even stand to be in her miserable presence?'  
  
"I'm not perfect, you say?" He responded coldly. "Well, I certainly don't see any flaws." His voice had picked up a hint of glacial fury.  
  
"That's enough, Knives," Vash said, hoping to placate both of them. The last thing they needed was Meryl upset again. It was important that they find time to talk things over. Preferably alone.   
  
Meryl continued glowering at Knives. He decided she was one of the worst things that could happen to his brother. Almost as bad as Rem. Before her, Vash had thought reasonably. They had been like one mind in two bodies.   
  
He hadn't noticed when it first started happening. When Rem had begun to steal him away. At first Vash had only started spending more time alone with her in the Rec room. There was no harm in that, was there? If he was fascinated by her stories of life, love and the earth she had left behind it didn't bother him. He, Knives had no interest in hearing about such trivial things, but why shouldn't his brother enjoy them? Then came that fateful day. The day he simply saved a butterfly, only to find Vash attacking him and that woman behind him, telling Vash he was doing the right thing! What had she known? Not the way plants like them had suffered under the wrath of a sick and twisted species that believed they had the right to use all other creatures as they saw fit.   
  
He thought that killing her and the others would eliminate the problem, that he would get Vash back. But after everything played out it became clear that given the choice between him and Rem, Vash would have picked her ten times over his own brother.  
  
Things still hadn't changed. This Meryl had looked almost exactly like Rem, excluding the length of her hair and it was clear to him that Vash was quickly becoming just as attached to her, even if it was in somewhat of a different way. 'And now,' he thought furiously, 'now she's gone and changed her appearance. As though he would feel more for her if she looks more like one of us!' This whole scenario made him sick.   
  
"Why?" Knives demanded harshly. "Why should I listen to YOU." He sneered the last word, getting violent in his rage.   
  
By this time Vash and Meryl had stood up, joining Milly in front of the demolished Hotel.   
  
"What have you EVER done for the plants, for your own kind! You go around saving the lives of your pathetic humans. All the shooting, all the crying... and for WHAT? So you can watch them leech more life from your failing brethren? Well, I've had just about enough of your sniveling. I've had enough of you hanging around the stinking humans. Now, I'm gonna take care of it once and for all."  
  
His tirade ended as a wicked sneer bleached his face, sapping the light from his eyes. Silence seemed to smother the group as the mid-day heat settled oppressively on their shoulders. Dust twirled lazily by them, swirling in unkept patterns. Vash and Meryl stood side by side, eyes set in defiant determination as they faced Knives. Time froze for a split second before Knives reached for his gun, having it out and ready before anyone could perceive of a threat. He raised the weapon and sighted down the barrel... at the center of Meryl's forehead. Vash's eyes widened in terrible realization. Before anyone could move, a shot rang out, rolling over the desert like thunder.   
  
To everyone's amazement, Meryl still stood, unharmed, just to the right of her previous position. Knives' jaw dropped in shock.   
  
'How did she do that? She moved faster than anyone I've seen. No HUMAN can move like that.'   
  
His eyes started to glow a dangerous blue. Quickly he fired another shot at her, emptied five more rounds, to hit nothing but thin air.  
  
'No,' he thought. 'It's impossible.'  
  
"Well, Mr. Perfect," came a deceptively soft voice. "It looks like you missed me."  
  
Knives considered her for a moment, then sighed, and lowered his gun. A peculiar grin crept onto his face and the tension evaporated just slightly enough for them to notice a tumble weed roll past.   
  
"How?" He said simply. For the first time he could remember, he didn't know exactly what to say. He knew what he saw. All his senses were telling him that she was like them. Like him and Vash. It was incredible, really. The first other plant he had ever seen outside of a bulb... but she couldn't be...   
  
"What happened to her?" He demanded. "Vash?" They all just stared at him.   
  
'NO! There is no way she can be a plant. Even if she looks and moves like one she could never be a REAL plant. Only two days ago she was a disgusting human. The idea that such a repulsive thought could have come to my mind is enough in itself to-'  
  
Knives' thoughts were painfully interrupted as a large metal crossbar hit him from the side, knocking him off his feet. He flew through the air. One of his crutches snapped as he landed hard, several feet away, but that was nothing compared to how his torn muscles felt. Why didn't anything ever seem to go his way? He grimaced, and then lost consciousness.  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Vash! I know that's bad for his condition right now, but he seemed distracted and I really didn't want him to start shooting again."   
  
"It's ok, Milly. Thank you." Vash's voice came out hollow and sad. "I'm such a fool. I should never have agreed to bring him with us."  
  
"But, Mr Vash, what else could you have done? It's possible that he could change, you know. We just need to have a little faith."  
  
He, smiled, nodded and turned back to Meryl. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess so," she replied.  
  
Milly beamed. "Gee, Meryl, you really were great! Dodging all those bullets just like Mr. Vash. You'll have to teach me how to do that sometime."  
  
"Um..."  
  
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Stel and Zuka would like to thank you for reading. We hope you enjoyed our story. Comments, questions, constructive criticism, plot suggestions are appreciated!  
  
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	4. Captured

Hello! It's Stelmaria and Zuka here. Hey guys we're REALLY SORRY about the update delay. But we were just taking our time and making the story extra special. The good news is that we finished the next three chapters, so we'll be updating every week from now on. We really hope you enjoy this next part.... The story definitely gets more intense! Love and Peace!  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun or Vash or Meryl or Knives in any way..... *Lassoes Vash around the neck and makes a mad dash for the exit...... Mean government officials take us down with stun guns* Damn, Zuka... we were SO close that time! *Sighs*  
  
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Chapter 4: Captured  
  
Meryl, Vash and Milly all stood in silence. Fallen rubble and debris scattered around them. Dust swirled through the air, scratching the throat and burning the eyes. Knives lay amidst them all, blissfully unaware. Meryl stumbled over and nudged him experimentally with her foot. Knives groaned slightly, then went still.  
  
"Oh great," Milly moaned. "What do we do with him now?"  
  
"I say we leave him!" Meryl declared.  
  
"We can't! He's helpless out here!"  
  
"So what, Milly?"  
  
"Hey girls," Vash said sternly. "He's my brother and I care about him, even if he is a jerk."  
  
"Well then, we'll have to drag him!" Meryl replied reluctantly.  
  
"Hey, you there! What do you think you're doing?" A harsh voice suddenly interrupted.  
  
Turning back they saw two men approach from the still dusty street. One was older with salt and peppered hair. He was dressed in a tan suit, and had a well-kept appearance. Meryl felt the guilt seep back into the pit of her stomach as she realized he seemed quite familiar. He happened to be the manager of the recently deceased hotel behind them. Her dread worsened as she noticed the man accompanying him.   
  
He was tall, dark, and a shiny sheriff's badge glinted off his coat. Things were not going to end happily.  
  
"My hotel!" cried the hotel manager. "Running this place has been my life's work, my sole ambition! Who did this? It was YOU wasn't it?"   
  
He pointed at Vash, Meryl, and Milly, still frozen in place above Knives. They miserably attempted to smile innocently.  
  
"You've destroyed my livelihood! You'll pay for this!" He pulled a gigantic rifle seemingly out of nowhere. "Now DIE you bastards!" He screamed in insane rage. Without pausing he fired off three rounds in their direction.  
  
"Ahhhh!" Vash let out a girly high pitched scream.   
  
Everything erupted into instant motion. Vash and Meryl easily dodged the bullets sprinting away with hands in the air. Milly stayed a split second longer looking undecidedly at the unconscious Knives.   
  
"Don't worry, Knives," she whispered. "We'll come back for you later."  
  
Another shot rang through the air, whizzing by her head. In another moment Milly was gone, hard on the heels of Vash and Meryl. The sheriff gave chase as they all left the raving manager in a cloud of dust.  
  
The three compadres ran through the streets as if the devil himself was on their heels. Behind them, shots still sounded, the occasional bullet flying by. Vash led the way, being most experienced in these mad dashes for freedom.   
  
'Whew,' Vash thought as he ran. 'That was a close one. I kinda feel sorry for the poor manager man. After all, it was an accident. I'll have to talk to Meryl soon. Until then, she'll have to keep her temper under control. Easier said then done!'   
  
Thinking fondly of the fiery insurance girl, he looked back to make sure she was all right. Instantly he froze. Looking around in rising panic, he called out her name.  
  
"Meryl! Where are you? This isn't funny! Come out!"  
  
His echo hung in the air around him. Milly patted his shoulder in reassurance, but the fact remained. Meryl was gone.   
  
--  
  
Meryl fled in Vash's wake, followed closely by Milly. Bullets continued to whiz past them. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the sheriff and hotel manager-turned-trigger-happy-gunman in hot pursuit.   
  
What was she going to do? She had been in tough places before but it had always been a result of Vash's antics. Now she was the outlaw. How did he deal with this all the time? It had only been a few hours since she had woken up and it was just one thing after another. When were they going to get a break?  
  
Deep in her thoughts and self doubt, Meryl didn't notice that only the hotel manager continued after them. She was unprepared when a shadowed figure suddenly jumped out from and alley on the left. She felt a hard object collide with her cranium and everything went black.  
  
--  
  
"Meryl? Meryl! I don't understand, she was right behind us!" Vash shouted mournfully as they trudged though the desolate streets. He and Milly were both breathing heavily after their mad dash for freedom, but their pursuers had vanished into the dusty air. "Meryl! Where are you?"   
  
"This town sure is empty," Milly commented.  
  
"This is bad. She could have been shot. What if something happens to her? What if Knives goes after her? What if she loses control again? It's all my fault! She's gone and I couldn't protect her! What am I going to DO?"   
  
"Um, Mr. Vash?"   
  
Vash proceeded to begin banging his head hysterically on the cement wall of a nearby building.  
  
"That's enough!" Milly was suddenly yelling.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Meryl isn't a helpless weakling you know! She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself!"  
  
Vash was shocked for a few seconds at Milly's abrupt change in mood before he could respond. "Nooo. You don't understand. She needs me!"   
  
"And I'm sure she didn't need you all those times you kept trying to ditch us! Or when you told us it was too dangerous to keep following you, even though WE were saving YOU half the time! Or when you disappeared for months after the fifth moon incident and didn't even have the consideration to let us know if you were still alive!" Milly took a deep breath and continued glaring at him.   
  
"Ahhh! But... that was different." Vash mumbled.  
  
"Hmph. Right. Sometimes I think you two are hopeless."  
  
"What are you talking about?  
  
"It should be obvious!"   
  
A perplexed look crossed Vash's face.  
  
Milly sighed. "Even I can figure out that you have feelings for each other, but neither of you will come out and say it to the other one's face. I thought at least one of you would after you came back with Knives, but all you did was argue more. I'm sick of seeing her hurting inside because of you!"  
  
"Wait a second. Meryl? You mean she--?"  
  
"That's right, Mr. Vash."  
  
He was silent for a moment before his expression intensified. "I have to rescue her right away!"  
  
--  
  
Meryl slowly woke up, groggily looking around in confusion. She was in a grungy old room, cemented in on all sides. An inherent mustiness lay thick in the air. Both her wrists were chained to the wall, preventing her from moving. Before her lay Knives, sprawled on the floor, still unconscious. Straining her arms, Meryl managed to scoot a few feet closer to his prone form. His eyes suddenly cracked open taking in her curious face. With a startled cry, he shot up, glaring in confusion.  
  
"Where the Hell am I?" Who shot me? It was you, trying to save your pitiful life, wasn't it? I'll let you kn--"  
  
"No, I didn't shoot you! I never did anything to you!"  
  
"You took my brother away, just like Rem." He said, coldly.  
  
He paused to look her over. She was practically leaking power. What had happened to her? Perhaps he could use this to his advantage.   
  
An evil grin snaked across his face. Meryl's eyes narrowed when she saw the peculiar glint in Knives' eyes. He was planning something. She knew it.   
  
"So, you're a plant," Knives murmured quietly. It was a statement, not a question. "I suppose you did something extraordinarily stupid to get us both stuck in this dump. Really, Humans have no sense of cleanliness. This whole place reeks of mold and decay."  
  
Meryl sighed in exasperation. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to wait."  
  
"Wait? For what? My pathetic brother to come? I've had enough of his rescuing for a lifetime!" He chuckled evilly, looking Meryl up and down."We could destroy them so easily, you and I. Wipe out the infestation that threatens our species with extinction. Every day we die a little more. Our brothers and sisters become a little weaker. But we can save them! Help me make this world an Eden. Join me and live forever!"  
  
Meryl could only sneer at him in disgust. "I will never join you! I will never kill another human. Knives, it is up to us to end the cycle of violence and hatred. What you are doing will only hurt the plants more!"  
  
"No!" Knives denied angrily. "I'm going to SAVE them. But I see my brother has infected you with his useless empathy for these humans. He has hurt me for the last time! Now I will take back what is mine!"   
  
He was screaming insanely. Meryl squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out his horrible voice. The air seemed to gain an oppressive weight, pushing in on her from all sides. Dimly she realized it was his power, gaining force with his anger. It rose around them, suffocating Meryl with its fury. She opened her eyes to see nothing but blinding white light. Her soul was teetering on the edge of an abyss, threatening to fall into oblivion.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TaaDaaa! How did you like it? I know, I know... A cliffhanger! But you better get used to them, because there'll will be a whole bunch in the upcoming chapters. (Hint, Hint) We are really excited about this story, if you have any input, ideas or suggestions we will consider them seriously. Thank you very much for reading our story, we really appreciate it! See you soon! -Stelmaria and Zuka  
  
To our wonderful reviewers: We love hearing what you have to say! You have left some really great messages for us. We hope to meet all of your high expectations! Tell us how we are doing! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!  
  
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	5. Prisoner

Stel and Zuka here! WooHoo the next part! This is where it gets really good! Vash gets in some serious trouble. Zuka says she's talking too. It's all her fault we took so long to update!i e ddgddg msdgnjdkjgdfidi87rtripuyniueriuy5uoui45o (Keyboard fight) *sigh* this is what happens when you try to write a story with two people... DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun! (As you know by now) *Sits in jail twirling her lasso*  
  
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"No!" She screamed. There was no way she would let Knives take advantage of her powers like this. She wouldn't let him kill thousands, even millions, with her stolen energy. Conviction filled her giving her the strength to throw all her force against him. Energy hummed and crackled though the room, it's explosive power hidden just beneath the surface.  
  
Meryl gritted her teeth in frustration. Her entire being vibrated with energy. Knives' eyes met hers as they glared daggers at each other.  
  
"You infernal woman, are you actually trying to stop me?" Hah! I'll crush you along with everyone else!"  
  
"I'm a PLANT and I WILL stop you. If Vash can, I can too."  
  
With an enormous amount of amount of effort she canceled out his energy field. Releasing a shockwave that made the cement ceiling buckle and crack. Chunks of rock rained down around them.  
  
She opened her eyes to see Knives trembling with rage.  
  
"You are pathetic, just another spider waiting to be squashed. You mean nothing to me or my brother. Now, feel the power of a true plant!"  
  
Meryl screamed as white hot energy seared though her mind. She collapsed against the wall as the power rolled beneath her skin. Vainly she tried to lessen the pressure steadily building behind her eyes. Crackling white lightening filled her iris as all her senses were overtaken. Desperately she called out.   
  
"Vash... Please! Help me!"  
  
Then, things began to go fuzzy. The energy enveloped her, bringing her the peaceful silence she craved.   
  
--  
  
After circling the streets for the third time Vash and Milly found themselves standing in front of the hotel rubble yet again. Rescuing someone was easier said than done. They had combed through the desolate town without encountering a single living inhabitant. Vash had no idea where to go next and was becoming more and more exasperated. Each passing minute felt like an eternity.   
  
"Mmm, Mr. Vash?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Wasn't Mr. Knives lying right there we left?"  
  
Vash's eyes widened as he saw the empty indentation in the sand. "Yeah, he was."  
  
"Oh no! Now he's gone too!"   
  
At that moment Vash felt an explosion go off inside his head. Someone was emitting an enormous amount of energy very quickly. "Knives"  
  
"What?"  
  
He tried to concentrate, to find the location of the source.  
  
"He's using his abilities."  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"Sometimes... when we're close by I can sense him... what he's feeling."   
  
He opened his mind further, releasing the barriers he had built up for protection. Instantaneously he felt a sharp wave of energy more direct than anything he had previously experienced. He clutched the side of his head. The pain in his temples was extreme. 'Not Knives.' The signals he was receiving from his brother were much different. 'Meryl?'   
  
"Vash!"   
  
The cry reverberated throughout his skull.   
  
"NO!"  
  
He doubled over as another excruciating wave jolted his mind. Then, as suddenly as it had come the connection lifted leaving an empty feeling and a ringing echo in his ears.   
  
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Milly demanded shakily.   
  
"No, I don't know. We've got to hurry!" He broke into a run, and Milly quickly started after him, struggling to catch up.  
  
Vash halted abruptly in front of a building that looked even more run-down and decrepit than the surroundings. He had felt no other outbursts, but now he was certain this building held Knives and Meryl somewhere within. Bold western lettering on the front read, "Tuusun Jailhouse." Below, tacked to the entrance was a scrap of paper announcing, "The Sheriff is in."  
  
He drew his gun, preparing to charge into the place, and do whatever was needed to rescue his beloved--  
  
"Wait, Mr. Vash! I don't think going in there like that is a very good idea!" Milly interrupted, but it was too late. In a rush of wind he was already through the door and out of sight, leaving Milly standing alone on the road outside.  
  
--  
  
He swaggered into the sheriff's office wearing a smile so wide his teeth sparkled.   
  
"Heya guys!"  
  
"Can I help you?" said a voice from behind.  
  
Vash spun to see a new man, older than the sheriff they had encountered earlier, sitting behind a desk. The man was shuffling through several stacks of criminal reports piled in from of him.   
  
'How much law enforcement does this town have anyway?' he wondered. He would have to make up a story on the spot. It was torturing to put on the fake cheerfulness at a time like this, but the less confrontations they faced, the safer everyone was.   
  
"I'm hear to visit my poor long lost... girlfriend. I thought she was dead, but then I found out she was arrested!"   
  
"Oh, really?" The man looked away, thinking. "We only have one cell occupied. Crime seems to be low at the moment. Of course that might change soon with all them rumors goin' around."  
  
"Rumors?" Vash grinned.  
  
"Y'know, the usual 'Vash the Stampede, the Humanoid Typhoon, is headed this way... Better leave town quick or board up your windows.' Which is why this whole place is deserted 'sept for some hotel pranksters."  
  
"Oh." Vash let out a nervous laugh. He fit into both the humanoid typhoon and hotel prankster categories.   
  
"I take it you're not from these parts?"  
  
Vash gave a short nod. "No, but finding my girlfriend again is a dream come true! I have to see her right away!"  
  
"What, might I ask, is your girlfriend's name?"  
  
Without thinking he blurted out the first fake name that came to his mind. "Bob!"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"I mean... uh... Eileen! Yeah. That's her." Not as smooth as he had hoped. This was taking way too long.  
  
The annoying bored guy frowned. "One of the people Jimmy brought in was a woman. If you want to check if it's her, the cells're through there." He pointed at a door in the far back.   
  
"Many thanks, deputy," said Vash making a beeline for the dark door.  
  
"Say, hold up a minute. You look kind of familiar."  
  
Vash froze in mid-stride.  
  
"Where have I seen you before?"  
  
"Haha! I get that a lot. There must be somebody out there who looks just like me!" He giggled shrilly.  
  
The suspicious look on the sheriff's face deepened.   
  
Vash hastened to the door. Just as he was about to reach for the knob it burst open. The other sheriff, the one who had taken part in the chase previously that day, rushed in, knocking Vash over.  
  
"All clear," he called out. "I don't know what that weird light was but they're both still there." Then he noticed Vash. "Who the-- Hey! YOU!"  
  
"Huh?" Vash leapt to his feet. "AHH!"  
  
"He's the guy from the hotel wreck! Get him!"  
  
"No wait! I can explain!"  
  
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Thanks everyone for reading!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
psycho king- Half-insane huh? Yeah... *smiles, nods and slowly backs away*  
  
Hecate- Don't worry... Meryl will be all right. We think...  
  
Beckira- We usually take suggestions seriously, but in this case... NO. Knives and Meryl SO not happening! This is a V/M story. Zuka wants the hotel manager in more chapters though.  
  
AnonymousTrigunOtaku- Is it good enough for you? We worked hard. :)(:  
  
Vashies-Girl- *hands her some oxygen* Breathe... Here it is, hope you like. You get the award for most creative name.  
  
bride_of_lister- Torture is a good thing!  
  
Luna-Kitsune-Blu- This story is crazy, and it's gonna stay that way! WOOHOO! YAY for craziness! *pokes Luna in her dark corner*  
  
Lu- Awww, I can tell you're a true Trigun fan! You'll just have to wait and see. (Maybe he will, *hint*)  
  
kitty-jinxx- LOVE AND PEACE! You go girl! Knives is gonna get it! Oh yeah! *Kicks his butt outta the story* Ha!  
  
And to everyone else, THANKS! 


	6. Escape

Disclaimer: Neither me, nor Zuka own Trigun. We're getting close to Vash though..... *Puts little bottles of hair gel on the ground, leading to a carefully disguised cage..... Vash sees the gel, his eyes widen.* Oh yeah, come to momma!*  
  
Well, here's the next chapter. Personally, this one's my favorite. We hope you guys enjoy. :)(:  
  
  
  
Vash held up his hands in an "I'm innocent" gesture.  
  
"Come on now guys, don't be like that. My girlfriend could be dying!" He gave them his puppy dog eyes.  
  
"She really needs me right now. You have to let me see her!"  
  
The sheriff didn't buy it for a second. He began to reach for his handcuffs. Vash's eyes hardened.   
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I need to see her, If you won't let me through, then I'll have to use my gun, and I really hate causing pain."  
  
The sheriff paused a moment, then let out a hardy laugh.  
  
"What? A skinny kid like you busting into the jail? That'd be the day I learn to fly!"  
  
Vash studied the old sheriff for a moment, then sighed in resignation. Before either of the deputies could blink, Vash whipped out his gun and shot open the door leading to the jail cells. The younger jail guard grunted in surprise and took a swipe at Vash. He gracefully dodged and executed a perfect pirouette, whacking the guard in the process. The older sheriff roared in anger, charging Vash's back. He ducked beneath the sheriff, throwing him over his shoulder. The poor man sailed across the room, landing hard on the stone floor some twenty feet away.   
  
Vash slowly shook his head. "I guess you were right, you did learn how to fly."  
  
With that, he dashed toward the direction in which he thought he was beginning to sense Meryl again. Her energy levels were starting to ebb dangerously.  
  
He quietly entered the lowly lit corridor, eyes flickering between empty cells. Then he noticed movement in the cell farthest from the door. A set of keys dangled on a nail near the door. He grabbed them and covered the distance of the hall in seconds. Opening the lock and shoving the metal bars aside he entered the grimy space.   
  
A spark of rage flared in his mind. His brother stood poised above Meryl's limp body. Her arms were suspended above her in shackles. Pale hair fell in tangles over her sweat-soaked face and her body shuddered with every short breath. Knives' icy blue eyes glittered in the shadows. The silence grew heavy between them.   
  
Vash's mind was whirling but he couldn't let Knives know how tense he felt. He made sure his personal thoughts were carefully sealed away from his brother's mental prying. Knives was an expert at getting people to use their emotions against themselves. If he discovered Vash's true feelings for Meryl, there were no limits to what he might try.  
  
Still, Knives remained motionless, eyes fixed on his brother. Vash might have been imagining it but for a fleeting moment it seemed as though an expression of guilt passed across his face. Then, the blank stare was back again.   
  
"Why, Knives? Why do you always do this to me?" Vash spoke quietly yet his voice was stern.   
  
"She had to go."  
  
Vash's heart jumped and he quickly glanced at Meryl. No, he could tell she was still breathing. What was he playing at?  
  
"Listen Knives, you promised..."  
  
"Some promises are destined to be broken." He paused. "She was always such a nuisance as a human anyway. I was doing you a favor."  
  
Vash fumed.  
  
"If you ask me you're the one who's more immature than any human I've met."  
  
Something flickered in Knives' eyes.  
  
"I'm sick of dealing with you and your pig headed selfishness." Vash continued. "Justifying all those deaths just so you can indulge in some twisted childhood fantasy. This world will never be like that. You're living in the past!"  
  
"Oh? You constantly spout the meaningless ideals of a woman who died 130 years ago and I'M the one living in the past?"   
  
-CLICK-  
  
Both brothers whirled around in time to see the Jail warden slam the door shut and remove the keys Vash had left hanging in the lock. With a satisfied smirk, the Warden leaned back to observe his handiwork.  
  
"Well now, thought you could get away with it didn't you?"  
  
Vash sighed and walked over to the door, giving Knives a warning glace. Knives responded with shrug, as if to say, "fine, we can continue this any time."   
  
Looking imploringly at the warden he whined, "What about my girlfriend? Are you just going to let her lay there?"  
  
In the background Knives burst into laughter. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Your girlfriend. Since when? Wait 'till she wakes up to hear this!"   
  
Vash growled and leaned his head against the bars. "Why didn't I kill you when I had the chance?" He mumbled. "Alright, whining didn't work. Time for plan B."   
  
The warden looked suspiciously at Vash. "Plan B? Listen mister, you better not try anything funny."  
  
Knives stepped forward, his eyes blazing in fury. In a flash his gun was out, aimed directly at the warden. "Try anything funny? Human, you are in the presence of superior beings. You should feel lucky you still have your life! Now release us or DI-"  
  
Vash quickly knocked the gun away throwing off Knives' aim.   
  
"Knives! Please! We can work everything out later, but just calm down and let ME handle this."   
  
The two brothers glared each other down. A second that seemed like eons slowly passed, both of them frozen in a combat of the mind. At last Knives looked away, lowering his gun and stepping back.   
  
The warden nervously glanced between them.   
  
"Alright then, Plan B it is!" Vash shouted joyously, a giant fake smile plastered on his face. He began yelling at the top of his lungs and pounding steadily on the bars of the cell door.   
  
"Let us out! LET US OUT!"   
  
The warden's eyes widened and he hurried away down the dark hall. When he reached the exit he gave a sigh of relief. "Those guys are insane!"  
  
He reached for the handle when suddenly, it turned on its own accord. He came face to face with a very tall girl holding a very large gun.   
  
"Um, excuse me but did Mr. Vash come in here?"  
  
"What? VASH? You mean Vash THE STAMPEDE?"  
  
"He must have! I can hear him shouting!" Milly eyed the set of keys hanging from his right hand. "I'm really sorry about this but I have to help my friends."   
  
She raised her stun gun. The warden paled.  
  
"Oh no, not again!"  
  
He crumpled against the murky wall. Taking the key ring, Milly made her way to the last cell where Vash and Knives were staring incredulously at her through the bars. She cried out when saw Meryl's unconscious form in the back, but quickly opened the door.   
  
It took a minute for them to find the right key to undo Meryl's chains but after she was released, Vash lifted her up and carried her out of cell. Knives and Milly walked silently behind him. The long day and begun to take its toll and even Knives looked exhausted. Luckily, they met no resistance on the way out of the office. It was time to leave another town behind. Taking the closest road out of town, the four travelers faded into the mirage of the desert.  
  
  
  
Awwww, wasn't that good? What a happy ending! Well, that's it, THE END! Just kidding. Did I scare you? Lots of new adventures and exciting scenes comming up! We'll see you there!  
  
-Zuka and Stelmaria  
  
Thanks for Reading.  
  
I'm really sorry, I'm short on time... I can't list all the reviewers.... I will next time, I PROMISE! So sorry. Oh, and about the Knives brainwashing thing, well...... maybe. (: I guess I'm having second thoughts. 


	7. Home

Hello everyone.... After a very very very long delay, CHAPTER SEVEN! Yeah! Finally got my butt in gear and cranked out another chapter. WHEW! I was a little scared some of you readers would kidnap me and torture me until I finished this! But you guys can relax now, right? heh heh. -Stel  
  
p.s. I don't own Trigun, so you can't sue! (I have, however, put a copyright on Vash's hair)

* * *

Chapter 7- Home  
  
Twin suns hung over the sky of Gunsmoke radiating intense heat. Meryl   
squinted through the noontide sand storms, her eyes locking on their   
next hapless target. Vash stood a few paces away, golden hair and   
aqua-marine eyes gleaming in the sunlight. He carried on, seemingly unfazed by   
the dust and grit.   
  
'Ugh. I'm really going to give him a piece of my mind! What possessed   
him to get us into this mess anyway? He's going to get it. . . unless I   
collapse first.'  
  
"Where the HELL do you think you're going, BROOMHEAD!" she shouted   
aloud.  
  
Ahead, Vash stopped his ceaseless rolling strides and turned to regard   
the vengeful insurance lady. "Now just calm down! We wouldn't want   
another one of your incidents to happen, now would we?" He paused long   
enough to shoot her a warning glance, then turned away.  
  
"Another incident?" Meryl growled, struggling to keep her voice down.   
"What could possibly happen? In case you haven't noticed, we're in the   
middle of the freaking desert!"  
  
"Would you two please try to keep it quiet, I just got Mr. Knives to   
fall asleep."  
  
They both turned apologetically to the approaching Milly, who had   
Knives slung unceremoniously over her shoulder.  
  
"Sorry Milly," Vash said, a goofy smile covering his face. "Meryl was   
just venting some steam."   
  
The aforementioned plant rolled her eyes in exasperation.  
  
"Anyway, someone told me there was a town in this direction, about 60   
iles away. If we keep going, we should make it there by morning."   
  
Meryl's face turned red and she started to scream. "And who exactly   
gave you this tidbit of information, considering we haven't run into any   
signs of civilization for the last 40 iles?"  
  
Vash had the grace to look chastised, kicking aimlessly at a dirt pile   
and bringing one arm up behind his head in a nervous habit. "Well. . .   
um, see. . . That nice hotel Manager Man was kind enough to give me   
directions, beforehishotelwasdestroyed, that is."  
  
"WHAT?" Meryl cried, almost giving herself a hernia. "The Manager? The   
one that pulled a huge rifle out of nowhere and tried to BLOW US AWAY?"   
  
Behind them, Knives made a minuscule groan. Instantly their voices   
dropped down to heated whispers, still holding the same intensity as   
before.  
  
"How could you take directions from a maniac psychopath?"  
  
"Well being a maniac psychopath doesn't make him an automatic lier!"   
Vash gave her a meaningful glance. "Besides, this direction is just as   
good as any other. We need to lie low for awhile."   
  
"Hey you guys!" Milly called in a wondrous tone. "It looks like there   
are some rocks ahead!"   
  
The two plants turned in the direction Milly was pointing, argument   
suddenly long forgotten.  
  
"We're saved!" Meryl cried, swirly eyed in relief.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Look! There's a crevice on the side of that rock formation. It must be   
a cave. We can wait out the rest of the storm in there."  
  
"Whoohoo!" cheered Vash.  
  
Knives limp form twitched. Head dangling upside down over Milly's   
shoulder, he muttered something that sounded vaguely obscene, but it was   
inaudible through the scathing wind. Milly sighed.  
  
Climbing across the uneven ground, the weary travelers reached the   
opening in the rock and hurried into shelter. The space inside was cramped.   
Milly and Vash had to hunch their shoulders to avoid banging their   
heads on the ceiling. The air remained dry and thick with dust, yet the   
trio still panted in relief. Wearily, they hunkered down to wait out the   
storm.  
  
Twilight found them huddled around a small fire, fighting off cold and   
hunger. The darkness seemed oppressive, silence pressing in on them   
from all sides. They each stared moodily into the flames, consumed by the   
memories of recent events. Soon Milly broke the quiet, in an attempt to   
lighten the mood.  
  
"So Meryl," she asked cheerfully, "you never told me how you changed   
your hair!" She leaned closer to inspect her boss. "Your eyes look   
different too! Come to think of it, you've been acting awfully strange   
lately. . ." She gave her friend a worried frown. "Are you sure you're all   
right?"  
  
"Yes Meryl, do tell. This should prove to be a very interesting story."  
  
They all turned to stare at Knives. It was the first civil comment he   
had made all evening. Meryl pinned him with a nasty glare, immediately   
assuming the worst.  
  
"Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"   
  
He favored her with one of his contemptuous smirks, eyebrows raised in   
a snide manner.   
  
'Oh great,' Meryl thought. 'He probably has more respect for a lump of   
coal then he'll ever have for me. Why do I even bother?'  
  
"People. . . especially humans. . . don't just go around changing their   
molecular compositions, in case you haven't noticed." His eyes seemed   
to frost over, hiding all emotion. "I haven't met another like you,   
besides Vash, for many years."   
  
He turned his deadly gaze to Vash, eyes now blazing in anger. "There's   
only one way this could have happened, Vash. Your stupidity is   
unfathomable. Don't you realize the consequences of your actions? Not only   
could her power destroy herself, she could destroy this planet and   
everything on it, including you and me."   
  
His voice held a cold superiority and condescending anger that made   
Vash's blood boil.  
  
"Now just hold on a second, Knives!" He shouted in fury. "You make it   
sound like this is all my fault. It was an accident! How could I ever   
want this to happen?"  
  
"Was it, dear brother? I'm not so sure." Knives murmured quietly.   
  
At his words, Meryl gave a pained cry and dashed out the exit.   
  
Vash stared desperately after her. Turning, he snarled at Knives.   
"Don't move until I get back. . . Or else!" Then he raced out into the   
desert after the runaway plant.   
  
Knives shrugged and turned back to stare at the flames. His mind mulled   
over the recent confrontation. Already a plan was beginning to   
formulate.   
  
'Meryl never answered my question, and Vash avoided it altogether. He's   
afraid of the truth. He's afraid of the fact that he's happy Meryl   
turned into a plant. He tries to hide it, but Vash was never good at   
keeping anything from me.' He smiled thinly into the fire. 'I still can't   
understand how it happened, though. A plant wouldn't give someone like her   
its power without a very good reason, even if Vash asked it to. There   
must be an ulterior motive, and I'll make sure to find out what it is.'   
  
His mind set, Knives let his weary body succumb to sleep at last,   
focusing his energies on healing his weakened body.  
  
--  
  
It didn't take long for Vash to find Meryl, huddled at the base of the   
rocks, crouched with her head in her hands. She looked up sharply at   
his approach. Eyes wary and suspicious. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes,   
then slowly stood up, as if the movement required a great deal of   
energy.  
  
"I thought you said it was an accident, Vash." Meryl whispered to the   
ground.   
  
Vash felt despair grip his heart. Meryl meant more to him than   
anything, he couldn't lose her now.  
  
"It was an accident."  
  
"Then what did Knives mean just now?" Meryl challenged angrily, tears   
gleaming in her eyes.  
  
"Meryl, please, just listen." Vash sighed, looking down at the ground   
and running a hand through his spiky hair. At last he raised his head to   
meet her gaze. Pain and compassion glowed in his eyes.  
  
"I know what it feels like, to live this kind of life. I've felt your   
pain a thousandfold. I've felt the agony of an entire planet since its   
birth. I've seen generations live and die. I've known that ache in my   
chest, reminding me I've outlived all my friends. Believe me, Meryl. I   
would never wish this kind of life on anyone," his voice softened gently.   
"Especially you."  
  
Meryl stared back at Vash, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.   
She desperately tried to hold back the tidal wave of emotions flooding   
her body. But they proved too strong for her to keep in, and with a   
shuddering gasp the flood gates collapsed. She rushed to Vash, enveloping   
him in a loving, trusting, forgiving hug.  
  
"I believe you." She whispered in his ear, tears streaming down her   
face to land on his chest.   
  
Vash looked at her tear stained cheeks in open amazement. 'She's crying   
for me? That hasn't happened since Rem left. Maybe Milly was right, she   
really does care for me.'   
  
Slowly he came to his senses, raising his arms to return Meryl's   
embrace. Tears swelled in his own eyes, but they were tears of indescribable   
joy. He crushed her small body to his own, reveling in the glorious   
warmth and comfort of her presence. All too soon, his infectious laughter   
bubbled forth, spreading to Meryl.  
  
At length, he set her down and stepped away. He observed her standing,   
bathed in the glow of Gunsmoke's five moons. Her hair seemed to glow,   
twirling in mysterious patterns as an answer to the wind. But it was   
nothing compared to her eyes. Lit from within by her unimaginable power,   
he could see the energy radiating in waves. The sight captivated him,   
and before he knew it he was stepping closer, raising his hand to caress   
her cheek. Impulsively he leaned in, gracing her lips with a gentle   
kiss. For a moment both of their eyes closed, then Vash froze, realizing   
just what it was he had been doing.  
  
Instantly he lept away, giggling nervously and grabbing the back of his   
neck. He felt his face heat up and quickly glanced to assess Meryl's   
reaction. She was still standing where he had left her, frozen in shock.   
  
'Did that just happen?' She wondered dazedly. Slowly she lifted her   
fingers to touch her lips in disbelief, then looked at Vash in wonder.  
  
"Sorry about that." Vash murmured, studying something on the ground   
with intense concentration.  
  
"That's all right." She finally managed to reply. "I liked it."   
  
She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, realizing what she had   
just said. 'Ohhh! I am such an idiot! What am I supposed to do now?   
Think, Meryl, think!'  
  
To her everlasting surprise, Vash began to laugh. Immediately the   
tension melted from the air.  
  
"You know," Vash said at last, "I actually came out here for another   
reason."   
  
Meryl raised her eyebrows. "Oh, and what would that be?"   
  
Vash grinned mischievously in answer. "Training. It's high time you   
learned how to keep those powers of yours under control."  
  
Meryl nodded in wholehearted agreement. Head still spinning, she forced   
herself to focus on his words. She definitely didn't want another   
incident like the hotel explosion to happen again. She had been meaning to   
ask Vash about it all day, and was rather relieved that he was the one   
that brought the topic up for discussion.  
  
"That sounds good to me, but where do we start?"   
  
Vash tapped the side of his head in thought. "How about mental   
protection. That way, Knives won't be able to pull any more stunts like that   
one in the jail cell. Whadda you say?"  
  
"Sure." She replied, stepping closer to see Vash a little better in the   
dim light.  
  
Vash happened to move at the same time, and before she knew it, Meryl   
was falling. Her arms shot out in momentary panic, grasping nothing but   
thin air. She windmilled for a second before completely losing her   
balance. She was aware of someone grabbing her arm, to prevent her from   
hitting the ground, before she instinctively reached within herself. Meryl   
touched a secret wellspring of energy, amazed at this feeling of power   
she had never experienced before.   
  
There was a flash, then a bang as Meryl landed spectacularly on her   
butt. When she looked around, Vash was gone.   
  
'Oh no! What have I done? I might have vaporized him with my powers on   
accident! I'll never forgive myself!'   
  
Suddenly she heard screaming to her right, a distinctive, girly   
screaming. She turned just in time to witness the infamous humanoid typhoon   
sail through the air, only to execute a majestic faceplant into the side   
of a sand dune 100 yards away.  
  
Meryl gawked for a moment, then sprinted to his side.   
  
Vash lay on the sand, still.   
  
A bolt of terror stuck her in the heart. 'Oh no, Vash, please. . . You   
can't be dead. I love you too much! You have to wake up. . . Vash!'   
  
She held trembling hands to her face, waiting for her secret love to   
stir. When he didn't move, Meryl gave in to her tears, turning away in   
horror.  
  
At length, she felt the warmth of hands on her shoulders. Looking up,   
she beheld Vash's worried eyes, glowing a vibrant green. Meryl stared   
for a few moments in startled disbelief, then started to laugh   
hysterically. Vash blinked in amazement.   
  
"I see your wonderful sense of humor definitely hasn't changed." He   
proceeded to shake about a gallon of sand from his gravity-defying golden   
locks. Looking closer at Meryl, he noticed the decidedly vacant look in   
her eyes. His brow creased with worry.  
  
"Hey Meryl...You okay?" He waved his hand in front of her face.  
  
"I thought you were dead." Meryl replied in a monotone voice, all   
traces of her insane laughter evaporated. She sniffled and looked down at   
her hands. "I thought you were dead, and that I had killed you."  
  
Vash gave her a sad look and moved to her side. Gently he took her   
hands in his and clasped them close to his heart. "Hey don't worry. I've   
been around a long, long time. I've survived Knives for 133 years. After   
him, you're a piece of cake. You may think being a plant is some   
terrible thing, but there are benefits too. You just haven't seen them yet."  
  
"Benefits?" She asked skeptically. "Like what? Being able to dominate   
the human race?"  
  
"Shhhhh," Vash whispered. "Just watch."  
  
He placed her hands flat on the ground, palms down. Then he covered   
them with his own, closing his eyes in concentration. Meryl watched with   
interest, then intense curiosity as her hands began to glow. Warmth   
spread from her fingertips, tickled up her arms and gently kissed her   
heart. Deep within the warmth something moved. Meryl felt herself bend in a   
way she had never bent before, and the heart of Gunsmoke bent in   
return. Far below her feet the soil heaved, sending up a tendril of something   
more precious than gold. Meryl gasped in awe as she felt a spring of   
water bubble up from under her fingers.  
  
The sensation made her giggle softly, sending her curling white hair   
bouncing.   
  
Vash smiled when she laughed, relieved to see her tears replaced with   
joy. Grasping her hands a little tighter, he concentrated on his task.   
  
Meryl's joy soon turned to amazement as her power surged. All around   
them grass sprung to life, flowers bloomed and trees grew. What had once   
been a barren wasteland was now an emerald oasis, luscious and green.  
  
--  
  
Meryl sat in deep meditation. Nearby, she could feel Vash's protective   
energy, along with her own. She found she could see the world through a   
different light when she concentrated on her power. Vash's being looked   
completely different. His radiant energy warmed her soul, repairing old   
scars and new wounds. His body glowed brilliantly, shedding power and   
life.   
  
At last she opened her eyes, soaking in the oasis she had created. With   
a growing feeling of contentment and completion she met Vash's eyes.   
All at once she realized what she had been trying to figure out all   
along.  
  
"I'm home. This is where I belong."

* * *

Well, there it is. I hope you like it. They finally kissed! What do you think of that, huh? I did most of this chapter, but Zuka helped a little. (She will help MORE on the next chapter...) Sorry for the long delay, hopefully it won't take that long for the next chapter. Until next time, Stelmaria

* * *

Thank you wonderful reviewers. Your praise keeps us going. We are always grateful.  
  
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